In the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne makes the statement, “She is my happiness!-she is my torture, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too!”(98) When Hester said this, she was referring to the range of emotions that her daughter, Pearl, brings to her life. Although Hester loves to watch Pearl play and have fun in pure innocence, Pearl is also a constant reminder of the sin and adultery that Hester committed. Although Pearl causes so much grief and torture to her mother, Hester could not live without her daughter; Pearl is her everything.
This quote is significant in understanding the character of Hester Prynne. Hester is very ashamed of what she did and is constantly faced with the guilt of it. It is bad enough that there is a constant reminder of her fall embroidered on her clothing, but Pearl is a living reminder that can look her mother in the eyes and pierce her to the heart. Hester viewed Pearl as a wonderful blessing from God as well as a type of punishment for her sin. She loved her Pearl dearly but it hurt her to see that she had bore a child into a disgraceful place in life.
It was a lose-lose situation for the officials who wanted to take Pearl from Hester’s guidance. If they took Pearl away, Hester would be very upset as it would be a form of punishment. However, when Pearl was with Hester, the punishment was just as harsh. It is very important to see that because of Hester’s sin, the greatest thing in her life also turns out to be the most terrifying. I personally believe that Pearl was the greatest punishment that Hester would ever receive, but without Pearl in Hester’s life, she probably would not make it through.
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